1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to devices used to remove, extract, or squeeze fluids from a substance. The new device allows extracting fluids from a substance while in its container.
2. Description of Related Art
There are currently in use many devices for extracting fluids from a substance. The most commonly known of these are the familiar juicer for the removal of juice from fruits and vegetables. In the most common of these a piece of fruit is cut in half and the exposed internal elements are pressed onto a properly shaped convex device to compress the fruit tissue and force out the juice.
When food is stored in a container, it may be of a substance which naturally has some fluid content or it may have fluids added as part of the packaging process. In such cases, when the purchaser or user wishes to consume the food, extraction of any absorbed fluids may be desired. The normal process is to use a strainer to allow the fluids to be removed. An example of such a fluid removal device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 337,702 which is a hand held strainer. To remove fluids from food, such as tuna which has water, oil and the like absorbed in the fish, while the food is still in its container, a disk which is sized to fit the diameter of a can or jar and which has perforations to pass fluids is used with a handle for the user to hold the disk. The disk is then pressed against the tuna in the can thereby compressing the tuna solids and forcing out fluids. This operation provides no leverage for the user to compress the tuna and is awkward to use as fluids will naturally come into contact with the user.
A further refinement of this process is the use of a disk having perforations which disk is attached to one of two lever arms. An example of such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 342,649 issued Dec. 28, 1993. This configuration provides a means of leverage in pressing contents of canned goods to for example remove fluids. The device does not allow for a change in shape or size of the disk for variable diameter cans. Also, because of the short length of the upper lever arm between the pivot point and the perforated disk mounting point, the hand grip end of the lever arm must be raised a significant distance to insert the can and begin compressing. This may make it awkward or difficult to squeeze the levers together with one hand.
The present invention uses a simple lever mechanism to provide leverage for compression of food in a container and to avoid extracted fluids coming into contact with the user. The packaged food fluid extractor has a container lever arm to hold the food container such that a perforated disk on a compression lever arm may be forced into the container to compress the food by the user squeezing their hand about the lever arms similar to the use of a pair of pliers. The lever arms provide leverage for compression of the food and isolation from the extracted fluids to avoid contact with the user.
One embodiment of the invention extends the length of the pivot element of the compression lever to increase the distance from the mounting point of the perforated disk to the pivot point on the compression lever to reduce the rotational movement necessary to insert a container and press the contents thereof. This provides for easier single hand griping and squeezing together of the levers. A stepped platform may also be provided as part of the container lever platform to accommodate different diameter containers.